New PST Rules In Effect Province of BritishColumbia

[Shaun Van Ramen]

As long as we have a government we have to pay taxes - it's the nature of the beast we've invented. What bothers me is the waste and unaccountability of that beast. Has anyone heard what this flip-flop in tax costs?

I don't always believe everything I hear or read through the news but from a CBC article;
"The government has estimated eliminating the HST and reinstating the PST will cost the province more than $3 billion."

I guess we are partly to blame for our lack of voter integrity and indecisiveness.

[nxski]

We are partly to blame, as seen in this thread, people weren't informed about what changes were going to be made. Had we kept HST we would have been better off. 2 billion is the number I heard before voting took place and there's no way the government would have allowed for a loss like that. From a business perspective, they had to add PST to more items so as to recuperate their losses. It seemed logical that they would do this beforehand (many were speculating). The government informed us of the changes in what was PST exempt and yet everyone still seems surprised.

I don't care for our current government either, but, if you were informed on the subject you would have voted to keep HST and would already have known about the changes to PST exemption.

I would say the governments to blame for putting is in this situation in the first place, but we're to blame for the outcome.

[glenn]

It's not our fault at all. The government lied plain and simple. Had it been implemented in a clear and open way, the controversy would never have had legs. The HST had many advantages, esp for small businesses like mine - but the big issue was all the new taxes that were added onto items that were previously not taxed. Consumption taxes are regressive - they unequally effect the lower and middle income brackets - and this outraged many. The Sloooooow switch back to PST did not return us to the previous state, but preserved many of the newly added taxes.

The people of BC were duped, plain and simple. Now, we all pay the price.

[nxski]

It's not our fault at all. The government lied plain and simple. Had it been implemented in a clear and open way, the controversy would never have had legs. The HST had many advantages, esp for small businesses like mine - but the big issue was all the new taxes that were added onto items that were previously not taxed. Consumption taxes are regressive - they unequally effect the lower and middle income brackets - and this outraged many. The Sloooooow switch back to PST did not return us to the previous state, but preserved many of the newly added taxes.

The people of BC were duped, plain and simple. Now, we all pay the price.

Yes, the government is mostly to blame, however, so many people voted to change back to GST and PST just to save a few bucks, rather than looking at the big picture. I'm not happy about this, but they're teaching us a lesson. Stay informed or get screwed. Some blame has to be applied to the voting public simply for being ignorant. Had the uninformed people not voted, we would still have HST.

[Jolly Roger]

I agree that the government did a poor job of explaining the HST in the first place. As others have posted, it was a much better system for business, especially small businesses like mine. However, I think most of the blame for returning to the PST/ GST system has to be put on the shoulder's of the voting public. The government didn't want to switch back and overall I think the HST was far better for the Province and the economy than the PST/GST. A lot of people got up in arms because they had to pay a bit of extra tax on some things (meals, etc.) but I think it was shortsighted of them to demand a return to the old system. While none of us like to pay taxes, they are a fact of life and I think we're damn lucky to live in a country like Canada and province like BC. No government is perfect, and they are all faced with the same problem of how to pay for the infrastructure and services that the a population of people require (healthcare, transportation, social services, etc.). Money doesn't go on trees and the more services we demand from our government, the more we have to pay. It's simple logic. I'm disappointed that the HST was voted out, but we live in a democracy and have to abide by what the majority decide . . . even if they sometimes get it all wrong.

[konadog]

I agree the HST is better and that we should have stuck it out. I was annoyed about it when it came in not because there was more tax here and there, but because Gordon Campbell point blank said "NO HST" and then a couple of months after the election laid it down. He lied to get the mandate. Scoundrel! Too bad they hadn't just explained it and been upfront about it. Oh well...

[psilosin]

I agree the HST is better and that we should have stuck it out. I was annoyed about it when it came in not because there was more tax here and there, but because Gordon Campbell point blank said "NO HST" and then a couple of months after the election laid it down. He lied to get the mandate. Scoundrel! Too bad they hadn't just explained it and been upfront about it. Oh well...

I agree that the government did a poor job of explaining the HST in the first place. As others have posted, it was a much better system for business, especially small businesses like mine. However, I think most of the blame for returning to the PST/ GST system has to be put on the shoulder's of the voting public. The government didn't want to switch back and overall I think the HST was far better for the Province and the economy than the PST/GST. A lot of people got up in arms because they had to pay a bit of extra tax on some things (meals, etc.) but I think it was shortsighted of them to demand a return to the old system. While none of us like to pay taxes, they are a fact of life and I think we're damn lucky to live in a country like Canada and province like BC. No government is perfect, and they are all faced with the same problem of how to pay for the infrastructure and services that the a population of people require (healthcare, transportation, social services, etc.). Money doesn't go on trees and the more services we demand from our government, the more we have to pay. It's simple logic. I'm disappointed that the HST was voted out, but we live in a democracy and have to abide by what the majority decide . . . even if they sometimes get it all wrong.

Both of these posts sum up the situation nicely. Well said.

[Rattlenbang]

Although it was more efficient for business, the problem with the HST was that it shifted more tax burden to consumers, which is non-progressive taxation. There has been a decade of this, which means that the lower one's income, the greater the percentage one pays of that income in taxes. As a society we pay far less in taxes than we did a generation ago, which is why it's increasingly difficult to balance budgets, provincially or federally. Which is the whole point. If you believe in small government, you cut taxes - which everyone loves a government to do - and then claim the need for service cuts because there's not enough money. Unfortunately, you get the civilization you pay for. UNICEF just rated the United states at 26 out of 29 nations for quality of life for children. That's small government ideology at work. Canada was in the bottom half; same problem for the same reasons.
It's a lot harder to make a go of it these days not because the government takes too much in taxes (as I mentioned they are taking less than ever before) but because incomes have generally been flat for decades, while inflation eats away at the standard of living. I believe in paying taxes; I resent paying proportionately more than the wealthy and powerful.

[almac]

i laugh at all the whining business owners who complain it "so hard" to run a business. they pay us crap saying they can't afford to pay us better, while they live in expensive homes, and drive NEW cars every year. they live off of us, and they know it.

i have nothing more polite to say about politics; bc, canada or the world, so i will refrain.

go on voting for the bc liberals... lets see how far downhill this train takes us... LOL.

[DeliTan]

I'm not an accountant. Having said that, I doubt many, if any, accountants could conclude unequivocally whether one system is better for me (all that really matters).

We were deceived and reacted emotionally. BC voted with their hearts not their brains.
We are entitled to, right or wrong, smart or dumb.

I've held off registering a vehicle in my name in hopes that the 5% used vehicle tax would go away April 1. Now I am holding out for the election. The NDP will likely win but will likely keep the tax grab.

As a libertarian, in the short term I would council the BC government to drop the 5% theft from all used car sales; private or dealer.
They would especially not like my long term recommendations.
My guess is they won't ask me...

[konadog]

i laugh at all the whining business owners who complain it "so hard" to run a business. they pay us crap saying they can't afford to pay us better, while they live in expensive homes, and drive NEW cars every year. they live off of us, and they know it.

And the same bastards whine about government interference and taxes and rules until there's an economic meltdown - precipitated by their own greed - when they come crying to the public for bailouts...

[nxski]

i laugh at all the whining business owners who complain it "so hard" to run a business. they pay us crap saying they can't afford to pay us better, while they live in expensive homes, and drive NEW cars every year. they live off of us, and they know it.

And the same bastards whine about government interference and taxes and rules until there's an economic meltdown - precipitated by their own greed - when they come crying to the public for bailouts...

There's a difference between small business and big business as well as a difference between a fair employer and one that rips you off. It's risky to start a business and if you successfully create one you deserve to make a good salary. If you don't like what you're getting paid, find a new job, start your own business or buy one out. This is coming from a guy who doesn't make a lot of money.

[konadog]

There's a difference between small business and big business as well as a difference between a fair employer and one that rips you off. It's risky to start a business and if you successfully create one you deserve to make a good salary. If you don't like what you're getting paid, find a new job, start your own business or buy one out. This is coming from a guy who doesn't make a lot of money.

Agreed. There is a difference. I'm self-employed too btw, and I'm not getting rich either.